Buildings contemplated for the present invention have a brick or stucco facing applied over wallboard or plywood sheeting. Such sheeting has structural integrity and contributes to the framework of a building. It is sometimes referred to hereafter as the structural substrate. Wood based materials are damaged by moisture, and cement based materials are pervious to moisture. Thus a moisture barrier must be sandwiched between the substrate and stucco to prevent moisture damage to the substrate. However, the moisture barrier presents the problem of achieving adequate bonding of the stucco to the substrate through the moisture barrier. A composite for such a construction material, prior to this invention, included:
(a) The substrate nailed to the frame;
(b) A moisture barrier, e.g. tarpaper tacked to the substrate;
(c) A metal mesh nailed to the substrate through the tarpaper;
(d) An undercoating of stucco physically bonded to the mesh and;
(e) The application of the finished coating of stucco to the undercoating.
This process includes a multiple of steps and materials that makes the building process expensive and therefore objectionable. Whereas the mesh is fastened to the substrate with nails (i.e. the fasteners are spaced apart), it is important that the composite of the screen and stucco have substantial integrity independent of the substrate. To accomplish the desired integrity, the stucco material is required to be fairly thick. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to reduce the steps and the materials used in the process to thereby provide a fully competitive stucco facing at a substantially reduced cost of production.